No ads, no newsstand, no problem: first issue of WoW mag

Future Publishing has sent us the first issue of the official World of …

The official World of Warcraft magazine asks some interesting questions. Can you make print work without ads? How much do people want to read about their favorite MMO? Future Publishing sent us the first issue of the quarterly publication, and one thing is immediately obvious: the company is doing many things right.

Go to your local newsstand and take a look at the state of magazines right now. Cheaper paper, fewer pages, even smaller pages in the case of magazines like Rolling Stone. World of Warcraft goes in the opposite direction. By making money on subscription costs and selling directly to subscribers, only issues that will be read are printed, and each of the 144 pages is content. The cover is heavy, glossy, and the art is beautiful. This is something you want to pick up and read; it's nice to have a print magazine in your hand that doesn't feel immediately disposable.

The content is varied, and the lack of ads allows for a lot of editorial. An interview with Blizzard's president and CEO Mike Morhaime, an article about line of sight management for arena players, advice on loot sharing and inscriptions, a look back at features that seem mandatory now but were added to the game after launch... the list goes on. If you're not a big World of Warcraft fan it may seem like overload at first, but this is one of the few games that can survive a deep dive every three months and provide enough interesting content for an entire issue of a magazine.

The problem is that so much of the experience of the magazine is tactile, and without seeing and feeling it at the newsstand you have to take it as a matter of faith before buying a subscription. But we don't take it lightly when we say this feels just as good, if not better, than old-school Next Generation.

Take a look at our interview with some of the minds behind the magazine and, if you're skeptical, talk a friend into subscribing so you can take a look. In the US, one year (four issues) is $40, or you can sign up for two years for $70.